


Lover

by BrokenBookAddict



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bus Kids - Freeform, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Home, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, One Shot, Philinda - Freeform, Romance, Slow Romance, Team as Family, partners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21943834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenBookAddict/pseuds/BrokenBookAddict
Summary: After all the festivities, the team enjoy the last few hours of Christmas day.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 18
Kudos: 112





	Lover

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own marvels agents of shield. I do however own any errors found lurking here. 
> 
> Inspired by Taylor Swift's song- lover. Which clearly I do not own. The song, it just seems the perfect fit for Philinda.

The common area slash kitchen looked as if Christmas had exploded everywhere. Two oversized Christmas trees sat on either side of the large room, one decorated in white and silver, the other red and gold. Lights and garland, wreaths and tinsel lay scattered across every available surface. The women of shield had gone all out to bring the holiday cheer. 

Now Christmas day is almost over, the festivities slowly drawing to a close. Coulson assisted by Jemma, had made a lovely dinner which had been followed by desert and an exchange of gifts which had then been followed by drinks and boardgames. It had been a lovely day void of any drama, it seems even the forces of evil take a day off too sometimes. 

Now, with the room bathed in the glow of the multitude of Christmas lights hung all around, the remaining members of team shield savour the dying hours of Christmas day. Mack and Elena as well as the others had already retired to their quarters, leaving behind May and Coulson, Daisy and fitzsimmons. 

On the large sofa, Fitz is slumped in the corner dozing with Jemma leaning against his side. Daisy is sat sideways next to her, in the space between them rests a large box of expensive biscuits. 

Coulson glances to his right when he sees movement from the corner of his eye. May moves to collect the empty wine bottles and glasses, before moving over to the kitchen area across the room. Following by her example, he collects the few remaining beers bottles then trails behind after her. 

Without a word between them, they fall into the chore of cleaning the used glasses and the odd plate left-over, with May washing as Phil drys. An easy silence rests between them as they listen to Daisy and Jemma. 

"I don't get why it won't connect?"

"Is it turned on?" 

Without even looking Coulson knows Daisy is rolling her eyes. Sometimes she is so much like May it's frightening.

"Of course it's turned on." 

"Let me read the instructions." 

"Who knew connecting a Bluetooth speaker could be this complicated?" 

Jemma hums, obviously engrossed in the detailed instruction manual. 

Coulson accepts the last glass from his partner with a soft smile. He turns to put it back in it's place when blaring music suddenly erupts from across the room. 

"Shit!" 

Poor Fitz jumps, startled from his dozing. 

"Sorry," Daisy says immediately apologising, lowering the volume. 

"Go back to sleep, Fitz." Jemma tells him then turns to Daisy. "At least it works." 

"It's good, I like it." 

Coulson turns from drying his hands to find May pouring whiskey into two clean glasses. She hands him one. 

He takes it from her with a brush of gentle fingers. "Thanks." 

They lean back against the kitchen island and look across at the others. 

"This is a good song," Jemma comments, as Ed Sheeran sings about thinking out loud. 

Daisy nods, taking a bite of a biscuit in the shape of a Christmas tree, a satisfied sigh escaping her. "This is a good biscuit, better than the normal ones lying around." 

"I thought you liked the biscuits I buy." 

"Noooo, they taste like cardboard Jemma, smell like it too." 

"They do not." 

"They do. Definitely like cardboard." 

Coulson snorts at the look on Jemma's face, as she studies the biscuits resting in the box between them. 

"Have you tasted them?" May asks quietly beside him. 

He tilts his head in her direction. "Once." His face twists into a grimace at the memory of the taste.

May chuckles. "Your verdict?"

He hesitates. "Cardboard." 

They share a smile. 

"Today has been lovely, spending the day with the team, as a family." 

"It has." She looks up at him, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you again for my gift." 

"Your very welcome." 

He remembers clearly her soft smile, when she opened the gift box to find a new mug, large and off white with a silver M on the front. He knows she misses her old mug, that got damaged back at thr base. Around the new one, lay boxes of different varieties of her favourite tea. 

"It pales in comparison to your gift." He bumps her shoulder with his. "You didn't have to do that." 

"Yes, I did." She looks up at him and meets his eyes before looking away. "They belong to you, no one else." 

He's touched, almost more now than he was earlier when he'd open the giant box to find everything he'd given to Deke to pawn, inside. He looks at her now, eyes tracing over her features taking her in against the soft glow of twinkle lights. She's beautiful and she never fails to take his breath away, even after all these years. 

He takes a sip of his whiskey, letting the slow sound of the music Daisy's playing seep into his bones. He glances to the table and his eyes find the bottle resting there. It takes a minute to register. He stares and stares... and stares. 

_Haig_. 

Without him noticing, she'd gotten hold of another bottle and opened it. They are standing here sharing a glass and he hadn't even realised. He quickly looks away before she notices that he's noticed. He takes a sip and savours the taste on his tongue. It tastes better than the last bottle. Before hadn't been real, unlike now.

He feels a sense of relief even if it also feels like the air is trapped in his lungs. 

He needs to do something. Looking over to where the girls are curled up, hot chocolate and biscuits in hand as they talk quietly, Fitz asleep at their side, he smiles. 

If only they could have more days like today, for him it's perfect, to be surrounded by the people he loves. 

While pondering his love for these people who have become his family, he glances to the woman at his side then to the bottle, that rests almost innocently on the island. The bottle having no idea the weight of it's meaning. 

Downing the rest of his drink, he sets the empty glass on the counter before offering his hand to May. 

With narrowed eyes, she looks from him to his outstretched hand then back to meet his eyes. "Yes?"

"Dance with me," he says softly. "Please." He adds almost as an afterthought as though he really imagines her to decline. 

She sets aside her glass to take his offered hand. 

He leads her out of the kitchen to some free space beside one of the Christmas trees. As the song changes, turning to her he pulls her close, his warm hand settles on the middle of her back. As the music drifts over to them they start to move, swaying slowly together.

May closes her eyes, resting her head against his, enjoying the heat of his embrace as they move slowly. 

"I always knew you liked dancing," He says after a minute of just holding her close and he's definitely flirting, his voice is low and teasing, it makes her swallow hard.

"Do not." 

He huffs, warm air brushing against her skin. "Little bit?" 

She smiles as the memory hits her of when they last danced, of when he asked her that before. Her answer this time is different and a lot more revealing. "More than a little bit and only with you." 

Coulson smiles, brushing his thumb across her hand. 

May is so lost in the moment that she doesn't pay much attention to what she's doing whem she moves her hand over his shoulder to his neck, her fingers sliding into the hair at his nape.

Coulson groans quietly and closes his eyes, enjoying the feel of her touch and he drops his hand lower, pressing into the small of her back to bring her closer, pressing her more tighter against him.

The music draws to a close and the song shifts, Taylor Swift's voice then fills the room. 

_We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January_  
_This is our place, we make the rules_  
_And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear_  
_Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?_

_Can I go where you go?_  
_Can we always be this close forever and ever?_  
_And ah, take me out, and take me home_  
_You're my, my, my, my lover_

The words sink in to his very soul, the meaning of the lyrics hitting him full force. He draws their joined hands to his chest, his heart beating wildly beneath them. They sway slowly on the spot, completely lost in their own world despite the fact that Jemma and Daisy have fallen silent and are now two very eager spectators across the room on the sofa. 

_We could let our friends crash in the living room_  
_This is our place, we make the call_  
_And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you_  
_I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all_

_Can I go where you go?_  
_Can we always be this close forever and ever?_  
_And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)_  
_You're my, my, my, my lover_

This woman is everything to him, his best friend, his right hand, his partner, his love but not yet his lover.... 

With that in mind, he makes his own move, like she had earlier with the haig. But where she had left her move subtle awaiting his notice, his is anything but.

Turning his head, he brushes his lips across her cheek then continues along her jaw until his lips hover above hers. They stop dancing but stay holding each other close. 

"I don't want to take any more steps back, Phil." She tells him, whispering the words against his lips. 

He answers her simply with a kiss. 

After so long of wanting this, of imagining what it would be like to kiss her properly, it's even better than anything his mind had conjured up. He's kissed her before for missions but it's never been like this because then, it had never been _them_. Her mouth is soft and hot beneath his, not unlike her kisses as his lips move over hers. His hand releases hers to tangle into her hair as the kiss deepens. She tastes like the haig they shared with an underlining hint of chocolate from desert earlier and a warmth spreads through him to settle in the pit of his stomach. Not quite believing this is actually happening. 

Eventually although rather reluctantly, they pull away, lips hovering as their foreheads rest together. 

"Melinda..." 

She smiles softly, tilting her head just so to kiss him softly. "Merry Christmas Phil."

Coulson sighs quietly, an air of happiness and contentment settling into his being that he has long forgot the sensation of. Every fibre of his being has been waiting for this moment and now it's here, finally. He pulls back to look at her, pressing her ever closer to him as they start to dance again. 

In the dying minutes of Christmas day as the clock ticks toward midnight, Jemma and Daisy watch as 'Mom and Dad' finally get their act together. 

Daisy raises her hand in a high five gesture that the other woman readily returns. 

"Best Christmas ever," Daisy whispers, watching the couple dance beneath the glow of tinkle lights.... 

... Hours later in the early morning light, in a tangle of bed sheets, Phil and Melinda become the lovers they were always destined to be. 

The end. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading
> 
> I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, Merry Christmas all! 
> 
> Until next time... 
> 
> ❤


End file.
